Thousands of Florida Doctors Ask Judge to Block New Law Barring Them From Asking About Guns

The party that supposedly favors deregulation and keeping the government out of people's lives passed a state law this year that barred doctors from asking patients about gun ownership. Republican Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill into law, but now a group of thousands of doctors and gun control groups have asked a judge to block the law.

The bill was sponsored by freshman state Rep. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford. Politifact ruled his claims that doctors, under the health care reform measures passed in 2010, would give the information to insurance companies and the government a lie. In fact, the new health care laws actually have specific measures protecting gun ownership rights.

Broduer's concerns also arose from American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines that suggest pediatricians provide gun safety information to parents who own guns to protect their children.

Doctors' groups in the state that felt the bill was at least unnecessary and at worst unconstitutional. The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence in conjunction with numerous doctors' groups have already filed suit against Rick Scott and the State of Florida over the constitutionality of the law.

Now the group is asking a judge to grant an injunction that would prevent the law from being enforced until the outcome of that suit.